Meditation Articles Series

The Impact Of Our Words On Others

19 Jul 2008

How many times have you said something to someone that you instantly, or later regretted? It’s often referred to as ‘foot and mouth disease’. Out come the words and then the thought, “Whoops, I didn’t mean to say that!” or “Did I really say that?” Usually the impact of our words gets an immediate reaction from the person we’ve aimed them out and a reaction we usually don’t like.

How meditation affects what you say

One of the benefits of meditating is that over time more and more awareness comes into our daily lives. The Buddha, who said some very profound things a few thousand years ago, talked about ‘The Eight Fold Path’ that leads to the end of suffering. One of these interrelated parts is called Right Speech. Meditation is about becoming the witness to our thoughts, emotions and physical sensations in our bodies. Right Speech is about becoming the witness to our words, and observing ourselves speaking so that we make correct choices. Compassion and love are the hallmarks of Right Speech. We become Mindful (another step along The Eight Fold Path) observing ourselves without judgment, witnessing the spoken words, witnessing the breath. We may find that what we talk about and how we talk changes. There is less inclination to want to gossip or be critical of others. We may be less inclined to chatter to reduce our insecurities. We may become more sensitive to not just the sound of our voices and what we are saying, but to the sounds in nature, and the sounds in music. We may enjoy longer periods of silence and solitude. Right Speech and Mindfulness are just two steps along the way that lead us to greater inner peace.